The Last to Know
by impossibleorimprobable
Summary: Heiji doesn't have a single romantic bone in his body. He tries very hard for Kazuha anyway. Bringing Neechan and Kudou along probably wasn't the best idea, especially since the latter seems to magnify Heiji's magnetic field when it came to attracting corpses. Maybe confessing on Ebisu Bridge had been the best idea after all? Heizuha with a side of Shinran. And of course, murder.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wow, I have so many WIP fics it's not even funny, but here's another? So far, I've written for ShinRan and KaiAo already, and now it's HeiZuha's turn, with a side of ShinRan, of course. Updates might be slow though, since I usually have a harder time writing Heiji as a POV character (it's my first time, too!) and 30 days is kind of my priority...**

* * *

Conan's spidey senses were tingling.

Nothing escaped his notice-keen eye for details, one truth prevails and all that-and when Ran had picked up a call from Hattori, giggled about it for a solid ten minutes to loud Osakan protesting (loud enough for Conan to pick up, _from the next room._ Jeez, it's a miracle Ran wasn't deaf yet), he knew, just knew, beyond all reason that something was definitely not right.

If anything, the visit two days later confirmed all of his suspicions. Hattori came all the way to Tokyo, a suspicious lack of Kazuha behind him, and ignored Conan when he'd told him that Kogoro Mouri wasn't home, choosing instead to brush past the kid, an exasperated look growing on his face. That meant it wasn't about a case, and Hattori simply didn't come to Tokyo when there wasn't a case.

Conan was nothing if not curious, and this particular mystery was too good to pass up, even if Ran scolded him for eavesdropping later.

So he found himself a nice little corner tucked just behind the kitchen counter in the doorway adjoining the living room and poked his head out. Ran had already brought tea at that point, so there was no danger either she or the detective of the west, growing more and more distressed by the second, was going to notice him.

"So you mean to say, that girl you met in Kyoto…"

"Yeah. It was her all along."

"...but if you're sure, why don't you just tell her?" Conan caught the tail end of Ran's sentence.

"...the time just isn't right."

"Hattori-kun, the time is _never_ right."

"No, I meant the time isn't right as in everytime I try to say something, someone gets murdered. Besides," Heiji put his head in his hands with a groan. "Kudou confessed in front of Big Ben in London, didn't he?"

"Eh?" Ran's cheeks went bright red and her voice raised by an entire octave. "Uh….how did you…?"

"Kazuha told me about it when we were at that house. The ahou was going on and on about something and wouldn't finish the story so I went to ask Ku-I mean, Conan-kun-about it because I figured he probably knew something. You know, since he's pretty close to Kudou."

Ran laughed awkwardly. "Hattori-kun, I don't think Shinichi would tell Conan-kun something like _that_ anyway…"

Conan facepalmed.

"The point is," the detective of the west continued, almost as red as Ran is, "Something that important...I can't just _say_ it." Studying his hands as if they were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world, he continued. "It has to be special."

Jeez. Who knew Hattori was this much of a sap?

Ran seemed to think so too "That's...really sweet."

"And there's also the fact that I can't let Kudou outdo me." Heiji puffed up his cheeks.

Conan sweatdropped. Since when did it become a competition?

"...Shinichi's confession involved a reference to Sherlock fact that it occurred in front of Big Ben was more an accident than anything. I don't think it'll take much to outdo him."

 _Oi, Oi._ Conan rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, the thing is, I really want to tell her at a... _romantic_...location. But I couldn't think of where to take her." The dark-skinned teen shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "So here I am."

"I hate to say this, Hattori-kun...I don't have much experience with romance myself. I... wasn't the one that confessed, you know."

"I'd go to hell before I go ask Kudou," Heiji grumbled. "And I need all the help I can get. The last time I tried to tell her, we were interrupted by a _zombie extra_."

"...maybe stay away from movie sets, Hattori-kun."

Conan chose to burst out from his hiding spot at that exact moment, shouting at the top of his lungs in his best spoiled kid voice. "Can I help? I want to help Heiji-niichan!"

"Conan-kun!" Ran pivoted on her heel toward the sound of the voice and put her hands on her hips. "What have we said about eavesdropping?"

She _looked_ mad, but having known her for seventeen years and then some, Conan could tell that she was also highly amused _._

"Sorry, Ran-neechan!" He said dutifully, already running toward the sofa where Heiji was sitting, "But Heiji-niichan looked worried and I wanted to help!"

"Kudou-"

"Still calling him Kudou, huh?"

Conan froze and Heiji smiled sheepishly and ducked as if by reflex.

"I don't blame you," Ran cut in quickly, noticing the sudden drop in the temperature of the room, "Conan-kun does remind me of Shinichi a lot." She bent to lift him into her lap, smiling. "Isn't that right?"

 _If only she knew._ He laughed nervously and scratched his head.

"Two heads are better than one," Ran continued, pausing momentarily. "You wouldn't mind terribly if we let Conan-kun help, would you? Even if he does remind you of Shinichi?"

As a matter of fact, Heiji did mind very, very much. But he couldn't very well refuse without blowing Kudou's cover and subsequently risk the lives of everyone they know and love.

Damn. What had he done to deserve this?

Conan smiled smugly from where he sat. "What are we helping Heiji-niichan with, Ran-neechan?"

Heiji glared.

"Hattori-kun's got something very special to say to Kazuha-chan, and he wants it to be perfect. So now we have to think of a place," Ran said, tapping her chin, oblivious to the secret looks being exchanged between the boys. "A nice restaurant? Maybe one of her favorites in Osaka?"

"It can't be somewhere as casual as that. I have to beat Kudou after all."

"I see. Somewhere she hasn't been yet, then?"

"Say, Heiji-niichan, wouldn't Kazuha-neechan thinks it's suspicious if you just took her some place nice out of the blue?"

"Oi," Heiji turn his glare to the child-sized detective. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Conan put his hands up, laughing nervously. "….nothing….." _Aside from the fact that it's extremely out of character of you..._

"Ahou. It's not like I didn't think of that. Her birthday's next week." It's like Heiji saw straight through him.

"Hmmm…" Ran was still deep in thought. "Somewhere she hasn't been yet...But, we've toured most of Japan together, mostly during cases. In that case, wouldn't you take her overseas?"

"...I suppose."

"If you're going to go overseas though...since you're going to tell her about... _that..._ " A dreamy look had entered Ran's eye. "Why not go to Paris?"

"Eh?"

"Why not? There must be a reason they call it the City of Love after all…"

Conan slid off of Ran's lap while the girl was suitably distracted by whatever romantic fantasies involving France and a certain mystery otaku her brain had concocted, and tugged on Heiji's sleeve with a smirk. "So you've finally worked up your nerve, huh, Hattori?"

"You're one to talk. Say, you still haven't given me the full story about you and Nee-chan."

"As if I'd tell you." Another smirk. "Oh, and if you're thinking of doing it in front of the Eiffel Tower, I'm copyrighting confessing in front of famous European architectural structures."

"Tch. Stingy." Heiji accused.

"You really are like brothers, aren't you?" Ran cut in, smiling ear to ear.

"Hehe...I guess, Ran-neechan."

The "I'm so innocent" act was right back on Conan's face, and he scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile to seem _extra_ childish.

"Two-faced brat," Heiji muttered under his breath. It was hard to live in a world where only he knew that beneath the adorable exterior of one Conan Edogawa was a terribly smug and evil ahou known as Shinichi Kudou.

"What was that?" Ran turned.

"Uh...nothing." Heiji scratched his head, grinning sheepishly, much like Conan had done just seconds prior. "But, like you were saying, Paris sounds nice."

"Copycat." Conan leaned with a knowing smirk.

"Why you little-" The dark-skinned teen grabbed the sides of Conan's cheek and pulled.

"Ow ow ow-Agh, Heiji-niichan, stop-"

Conan rubbed his (now sore) cheeks, glaring. Heiji smirked. Served the damn brat right. "Still," he said as he leaned back with a sigh, mostly to himself, "I suppose Paris is out of the question now…"

"Don't worry," Ran said with a placating smile. "After all, you've still got a week to decide."

Somehow, knowing that he had a mere seven days to pull something amazing out of his ass didn't comfort him.

Not one bit.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: AAAAND the series of unfortunate events begins~ *"Another One Bites the Dust" begins to play in the background* Heiji really has the worst luck haha :P**

* * *

"Eh?!" Ran shrilled into the receiver of her phone.

On the other end of the room, Heiji's loud babbling was seeping through Conan's phone. " _Anyway, Kudou-_ "

Conan winced as he held the device away from his ear to preserve what little hearing he had left. Really, what was it with the people around him and _yelling_?

"But...wouldn't it be better if you and Hattori-kun...uh...went together? Alone?"

" _Oh, you don't need worry about_ _ **that**_ _, Ran-chan! I didn't want to fly alone but Heiji, the ahou, has a competition, and is set to leave a day later, so he can't come with me. Besides, it's much more fun to travel with friends, isn't it?_ "

The cheer was very obviously false, and Ran could tell from the force with which Kazuha was saying the words that she was less than pleased.

"Uh...I guess…" She chuckled nervously.

" _So you'll come? That's great! Make sure to bring your dad and Conan-kun too, the cute little tyke. Heiji's always getting caught up in murders._ " the inhabitants of the Mouri Detective Agency could physically hear Kazuha gritting her teeth on the other end of the line. " _A trip to Paris with only that insensitive ahou for company would ruin the mood._ "

Ran sweatdropped. "I'm sure Hattori-kun doesn't mean to always run off like that…"

A frustrated huff from the other end of the line.

The other phone call was going more or less just as smoothly.

" _I didn't want be on the same flight as that ahou…It would've been too awkward…"_

Conan sighed. "Hattori, you goddamn coward."

" _Oi, watch it. I'm doing you a favor. Nee-chan was getting all starry-eyed at the very thought of France._ "

"You're forgetting the bit where I'm stuck in a seven year old body. Dammit, I don't even have a proper passport."

" _So go as Kudou. Makes everything a hell of alot easier."_

 _"_ Hattori, the antidotes don't work like that. They can't just…sustain me indefinitely. Haibara's going to rip my head off if I ask for any more."

" _Well, she can give you something for the flights, at least, can't she?"_

 _"_ That's not the point-"

" _You can even come with me rather than stick around Nee-chan and Kazuha. Come on, Kudou."_ A pause. _"I don't think I'm going to survive the trip if I go alone."_

Conan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "And if we go together, no one _else_ is going to survive. Nine times out of ten that we're in the same room, someone gets murdered."

" _I'm willing to take that chance. See you at the airport!"_

The bastard hung up. The bastard actually had the nerve to hang up.

"Say, Conan-kun?"

Conan jumped ten feet into the air.

While he had been busy glaring at his phone, Ran had finished her conversation with Kazuha and was now standing behind him, leaning down with the patient, gentle smile she reserved only for children, hair spilling over her shoulder. "You don't happen to have a break from school next week, do you?"

"Uh…" Conan spluttered, trying to recall his school schedule instead of stare into her ridiculously pretty eyes and think about how good of a mother Ran was going to be one day. "Uh...yes?"

Dammit. Immediately after the word had escaped from his mouth, he regretted it. He should've said no.

"Then it's decided," Kogoro Mouri interrupted, setting down his newspaper. "We could all use a break. Parisian air will do us good." The serious look evaporated and the old man showed his true colors. "Not to mention, Parisian women."

Conan and Ran looked at each other and sweatdropped.

That was how, three days later, Conan-beg pardon, _Shinichi Kudou-_ found himself checking in to an international airport in plain sight, _even though he was supposed to be dead._ Though most days he was vaguely glad that Hattori found out about the whole Conan thing and he was able to relax and be himself around _someone_ , today was one of those days that he wished Heiji stayed "Heiji-niichan."

"I hate you," he informed the teen in question when they met up at the gate.

"No you don't," Heiji said cheerily.

Shinichi narrowed his eyes and stuck his tongue out rather childishly.

It was a small mercy that nothing went wrong with the antidote during the flight. Haibara hadn't been sure if her prototype would work for the intended amount of time and gave him a few spares, instructing him on pain of death that he was not allowed to take any unless it was an _actual_ emergency.

(To his mind, a crying Ran was an emergency, but not to Haibara's, he guessed.)

Twelve hours were spent doing basically nothing. He watched maybe five movies, and kept his earbuds in at all times because Heiji literally fell asleep the second he sat down and he also sleep-talked, and honestly, Shinichi didn't want to know. Somewhere along the way he dozed off to the murder mystery on the third page of the movie selection, although he'd woken up in time for the landing to notice that Hattori was _way too cheerful_. Which generally meant that something was getting on his nerves.

They landed at night. Kogoro Mouri was supposed to come pick them up, but he probably got waylaid somewhere, which wasn't altogether too bad, since Shinichi had to, again, hide in the bathroom to wait for the antidote to stop working.

"Honestly, it gives me the creeps when I start thinking that you're the same person," Heiji remarked as Conan, once again in child form, stepped out of the stall.

"...I _am_ the same person, baka."

"I know, but I just can't reconcile this c _ute little face_ with your usual stupid, smartass self-"

Despite knowing from experience that Hattori was absolutely insufferable when he was nervous about anything, Conan rolled his eyes.

"You squeeze my cheeks again, I _will_ kick you in the shin. With my shoes on."

"Ok, ok-jeez, Kudou, I was just kidding."

"Oi! You two brats! Where the hell have you been?"

Kogoro Mouri was standing in the waiting area, red faced and smelling very distinctly like expensive wine.

"Jeez," Conan facepalmed. "Already?"

"Don't know what we were expecting," Heiji agreed. "Taxi?"

"Taxi."

It took some coaxing to get everyone settled in the taxi (Heiji….really sucked at french, and Conan's english only got them so far), and by the time they actually got to the hotel, it was very, very late.

"Jeez, Tou-san," Ran had come down to the lobby to help them. "Did you have to drink so much?" She turned with an apologetic smile to the boys, "Sorry, Hattori-kun...I hope he didn't give you too much trouble…"

"It was alright. Besides, this little kid," Heiji emphasized his words by tousling Conan's already messy hair. "Was a great help."

Conan glared up at him.

"You too, Conan-kun. You must be absolutely exhausted." Ran extended a hand toward him. "So why don't we go upstairs and order some room service? Then you can go to bed quickly." She threw a conspiratorial glance at Heiji. "Kazuha-chan's waiting in the restaurant by the ballroom. You go on ahead. I don't think she'll miss us much."

"Oi-Ran-what the hell?" Kogoro was, however, not cooperating. "We come all the way out to Paris-and you want to order room service?"

"Dad-Conan-kun must be really tired and-"

"Tch. To hell with that brat. We can put him to bed and then come back down-"

"Dad-we just-can't-because-ugh!"

Needless to say, Ran had a _very_ hard time trying to wrestle her father upstairs while holding on to Conan's hand.

Which was why, twenty minutes later, Kazuha, hiding her face behind her menu, glanced over her shoulder at Kogoro (who was sitting, singing drunkenly, an arm slung over his increasingly pissed off daughter, across from an apathetic first grader in a corner booth), blushed, and raised an eyebrow at Heiji.

Heiji groaned and sat down. "Don't ask."

Looked like the whole "romantic candlelight dinner" idea wasn't going to work out too well today. The candle was there, of course, but oji-san had all together ruined the mood. Besides, he'd forgotten to buy roses.

The dinner part, on the other hand...he was hungry. So, might as well make use of it.

They ordered and the waiter had just gone when Kazuha leaned her chin against her palm and turned her eyes to him. "So. How'd the match go?"

He grinned. "We beat 'em."

"...Course you did," she said softly. Her gaze flickered away and fixed on the shadows on the wall, watching it dance, matching the movements of the flame on the candlewick. She seemed distant, like she was physically sitting there, across from him, but her mind was far away.

Heiji caught himself staring, and flushed, swallowing.

Silence.

And then, slowly: "You're...not still mad...that I couldn't fly with you, are you?" He scratched his head, not looking at her.

She turned slowly to look at him, face blank for an entire, nerve-wracking minute. And then she grinned and reached across the table to slug him in the arm. "Ahou! Who needs _your_ company? Ran-chan was much more entertaining."

Heiji wasn't sure if he ought to feel insulted or relieved she wasn't pissed.

"Still. I'm glad you're here now."

"I mean, it is your seventeenth birthday. As your...best friend...I had to be here for that."

She smiled and looked away again. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out what the expression on her face meant.

If she wasn't pissed off, then what was it? Why was everything so...off?

She'd flushed. It couldn't be his imagination, could it? Or was it all an illusion created by the candle, the way the light seemed to catch in her emerald eyes, and her cheeks glowed a rosy red?

His breath caught in his throat. Was she on to him? Did Nee-chan….?

"Say, Heiji," Kazuha said, after a long pause.

He held his breath.

"Why did you-"

An ear-piercing scream cut through the air and she swallowed the rest of her sentence with a gasp, eyes widening with horror as she lifted a hand to point at something behind him.

Almost automatically, Heiji turned around.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: WHEEEEW THIS TOOK A BLOODY LONG TIME TO COME OUT. It's Heiji's fault. He likes being difficult to characterize. Well, you have the beginnings of a mystery~ I'll have to figure out how this one ends myself...I suck at making cases, but I'm TRYING.**

 **ALSO! THE LATEST MANGA CHAPTERS ARE OUT AND I WAS SO GLAD THAT IT DIDN'T RIP MY CANON APART. I was worried for a bit that I was going to have to go AU bc Heiji would confess at the weird lodge place or something but then it didn't happen and I was like wheeew (but i was also kind of disappointed that IT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE UGH I'VE BEEN WAITING SINCE THE MOMENT I MET THEM)**

* * *

"Oi, Kudou," the first thing the Great Detective of the West did was try to ask a favor from his long time rival, a testament to exactly how much he didn't want to be caught up in a murder case this time. "Can't you handle this one?"

Conan looked at the scene and narrowed his eyes, considering. Then he shook his head. "No good. Occhan's fallen asleep, and there's no way Ran's going to let me anywhere near the body on my own."

Right on cue, Ran snuck up behind the faux-child and put her hand over his eyes. "Jeez, Conan-kun! This is not something a child like you should see. I always try to tell tou-san to stop dragging you into this terrifying mess but he refuses to listen!" Conan squirmed and wriggled, but then Ran wrapped an arm firmly around his middle and hoisted him off his feet.

"But I'm helping Heiji-niichan investigate, Ran-neechan!" Conan, blushing, protested.

"It's way past your bed time anyway. And just look at you," She ran her fingertips gently over his cheek. He turned even redder. "Those bags under your eyes are going to get even bigger. Honestly, Conan-kun, is it just jet lag or have you been staying up to read Kamen Yaiba again?"

 _Traitor._ Heiji's eyebrows twitched as he glared at the retreating figures. Now he didn't even have the help. Lovely.

"Hey, Heiji," Kazuha came up behind them, twisting her hands, "Should I call an ambulance? Or the police? Or-?"

Heiji knelt down next to the body with a long sigh, and placed two fingers against the woman's jugular vein.

"Just the police," he announced, after a moment. "The ambulance won't be able to do much for her."

Kazuha's brows knitted together briefly before she stopped a waiter. A few words exchanged later, she whipped out her phone and dialed.

The woman was definitely European. It was an asphyxiation, or maybe cardiac arrest, somehow. The bitter, almond-y smell wafted to his nose and he drew back, covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve.

"Cyanide," Heiji said, half to himself. His fingers lingered at the edge of his cap, just a moment. And then he twisted it to the proper deduction position.

There was nothing else particularly strange or worrying about the body, except maybe

"I've sealed off the restaurant and alerted the police," Kazuha declared determinedly when she'd gotten back.

He flashed her a grateful smile but couldn't resist jabbing at her. "You've done well, young padawan."

Kazuha punched him. Hard.

Rubbing his now sore arm, Heiji approached the table the victim had been sitting at.

Dammit. _Why_ 'd he just _have_ to…

With _that_ violent ahou...

"A woman has been murdered. We've already alerted the necessary authorities. Though I'm not police, I _am_ a private detective, so I would like you all to answer some questions, starting with your name, where you're from, and what you do." Heiji declared in english to the table where the woman had fallen. He didn't think he could solve an entire case in french, and Parisian police being able to understand Japanese was probably too much to hope for.

"My name is Stephen," the man nearest to them stood. His face was drawn, pale, and he stared at the body with wide eyes. "That is my wife, Julie."

Heiji noted the heavy accent. Cockney. "I see. My condolences. Your friends?"

"This is Monsieur Gillenormand. My great-uncle. He is the one who invited us here. He owns this hotel, actually. " An inconspicuous looking elderly man raised a hand.

Heiji sized him up. Explained the flurry of waiters in the general direction earlier, though.

"Jeanine Gillenormand, his granddaughter," The quiet-looking college student with hair cropped short piped up. "I study music."

"I'm Martine Dubois," The tired-looking blonde woman at Jeanine Gillenormand's right offered, english slightly accented with lilting french tones, "Writer for a travel journal based in Normandy. This is my daughter Isabelle." Her hand covered the eyes of the four year old girl in her lap.

"Hugh Lowell," A big man in a striped shirt extended his hand, shook Heiji's firmly. "Carpenter. American. You speak good English."

" _Well_." A high, lilting voice interrupted.

Heiji raised an eyebrow.

"'You speak English _well_ ,'" The four year old chirped happily in correction.

"Yes, yes," Hugh Lowell blinked. "What a bright little girl."

Her mother flushed red and shushed her.

"Uh, yes, thank you." Heiji continued, scribbling down some hurried notes. "Can you tell me exactly what happened just now?"

"We came to dinner at my uncle's request," Stephen said, "Julie was telling everyone about the shenanigans of our youngest daughter when she suddenly started to behave as if she was choking, and then…" He shut his eyes and shuddered.

Heiji bit his lip. "What was the last thing she ate or drank?"

"Let's see…" Hugh Lowell was deep in thought. "We'd just finished dessert when she said she wanted to show us some family pictures…"

"I think she had a lemon parfait," Kazuha piped up from the side.

Heiji turned to stare at her.

"What?" She flushed. "It looked delicious. I thought Ran-chan would like to try some. She seems to love making lemon flavored desserts."

Heiji looked with slanted eyes at a certain miniaturized detective, who was currently falling asleep standing up.

 _And no wonder…_

Damn, just hearing about Nee-chan and Kudou being all lovey-dovey was making him think of-

He threw that thought right out the window. "And did anyone touch the lemon parfait before she was able to eat it?"

"Just the waiter," Mlle Gillenormand said, shrugging.

"I'm the waiter who brought them the food," a man in his early thirties came up to the table, bowing. He was a harassed looking young man with glasses.

"...I see. And can everyone account for where they were-"

"This is the police!"

Heiji turned.

The man in the doorway was young. Younger than Heiji had expected a detective inspector to be, tall and fair-haired. There was a charming (but evil, Heiji insisted, later) look in his eye and even Heiji had to admit that he was rather good-looking.

"Detective Inspector Dupont, at your service," A smirk that would make any woman's stomach flutter, "Who was it that reported the crime?"

"Uh, me." Kazuha said awkwardly, from the side.

"Ah." The inspector strode to her side and bowed extravagantly. "A lovely young lady."

"Uh." Kazuha was growing increasingly speechless (and red) even as Dupont bent over her hand and kissed it.

Heiji glared at him through narrowed eyes ( _that might have been literally on fire_ ). "Oi, detective inspector, there's a bloody case to take care of here. So how about you stop _flirting_ with the _ahou_ and get your ass over here."


End file.
